Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a communication method and apparatus. In the method, a terminal selectively accesses a more suitable network device on the basis of at least one of the time for which the network device serves a cell, the position of the network device relative to the cell, and the pose of the terminal relative to the network device. In this way, the utilization rate of network device resources is increased. Additionally, selecting a network device by means of any combination of the time, the position and the pose can avoid a situation in which handover caused by the movement of a network device and / or a terminal occurs immediately after the terminal accesses the network device, thereby reducing the handover frequency of the network device and thus ensuring efficient access.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on March 4, 2024, with application number 202410258083.8 and application name “Communication Method and Device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and device. Background Art

[0003] For low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, there are two main scenarios: quasi earth-fixed and earth-moving.

[0004] In a ground-gazing scenario, when selecting a cell, the user equipment (UE) usually follows the S criterion. That is, the cell is selected based on signal quality. If the signal quality of the upper-layer satellite is greater than that of the lower-layer satellite, the UE will always choose the upper-layer satellite for access. If the signal quality of the upper-layer satellite is less than that of the lower-layer satellite, the UE will always choose the lower-layer satellite for access. This reduces the utilization of satellite resources, and the UE always chooses to access the satellite with higher signal quality, resulting in an increased frequency of satellite switching. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus, which reduce the frequency of satellite switching, enable a terminal to select a more suitable satellite, and ensure efficient access.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a terminal, or a chip or logic module within the terminal. The method includes receiving first information from a network device, where the network device is a non-terrestrial network device. The first information includes the time the network device served a cell and / or the location of the network device relative to the cell. Determining whether to access the network device is based on at least one of the following: the time the network device served the cell, the location of the network device relative to the cell, or the posture of the terminal relative to the network device.

[0007] Based on the method of the first aspect, it can be seen that the terminal selectively accesses a more suitable network device through at least one of the time when the network device serves the cell, the position of the network device relative to the cell, and the posture of the terminal relative to the network device, thereby improving the utilization rate of network device resources. By selecting the network device in any combination of time, position and posture, it is possible to avoid switching caused by the movement of the network device and / or the terminal as soon as the terminal accesses the network device, reduce the switching frequency of the network device, and thus ensure efficient access.

[0008] In one possible implementation, determining whether to access the network device based on at least one of the following may include accessing the network device if the network device's service time for the cell is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold. It will be appreciated that the network device's service time for the cell may be the remaining time the network device will serve the cell, and the preset time threshold may represent the minimum required service time. If the network device's remaining service time for the cell is greater than or equal to the minimum required service time, the network device meets the terminal's selection criteria, and the terminal accesses the network device. This reduces the frequency of handovers caused by network device mobility, allowing the terminal to select a more appropriate satellite and ensure efficient access.

[0009] Optionally, when the network device serves the cell for a time period greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: receiving the preset time threshold from the network device. It will be appreciated that the terminal may receive the preset time threshold via a message broadcast by the network device, eliminating the need for the terminal to determine the preset time threshold independently, thereby reducing terminal-side overhead.

[0010] In one possible implementation, determining whether to access the network device based on at least one item may include: accessing the network device when the distance between the terminal's location and the network device's location relative to the cell is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold.

[0011] It is understood that the location of the network device relative to the cell can be the cell reference point information sent by the network device, and the preset distance threshold can represent the maximum distance between the terminal and the cell reference point. If the distance between the terminal and the cell reference point is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold, the network device meets the terminal selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device. In this way, when the distance between the terminal and the cell reference point is large, such as when the terminal is at the edge of the satellite beam coverage cell, that is, when the terminal is far from the center of the satellite beam coverage area, the terminal does not select that satellite for access. This can avoid handover issues caused by terminal movement immediately after accessing the satellite.

[0012] Optionally, when the distance between the terminal's location and the location of the network device relative to the cell is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: receiving the preset distance threshold from the network device. It will be appreciated that the terminal may receive the preset distance threshold via a message broadcast by the network device, eliminating the need for the terminal to determine the preset distance threshold independently, thereby reducing terminal-side overhead.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the posture of the terminal relative to the network device includes the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device; determining whether to access the network device based on at least one of the following items may include: accessing the network device when the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device is greater than or equal to a preset angle threshold value.

[0014] It will be appreciated that the preset angle threshold value can represent the minimum required elevation angle information between the terminal and the network device. If the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device is greater than or equal to the preset angle threshold value, the network device meets the terminal's selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device. Because the greater the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device, the better the signal quality provided by the network device to the terminal, if the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device does not meet the minimum required elevation angle, the terminal will not select the network device for access. This can avoid handover issues caused by terminal movement and / or satellite movement immediately after accessing the network device.

[0015] Optionally, when the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device is greater than or equal to a preset angle threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: receiving the preset angle threshold from the network device. It will be appreciated that the terminal may receive the preset angle threshold via a message broadcast by the network device, eliminating the need for the terminal to determine the preset angle threshold independently, thereby reducing terminal-side overhead.

[0016] In one possible implementation, at least one of the following items further includes cell signal quality; and determining whether to access the network device based on at least one of the following items includes: determining a first sum of a first weighted value and a second weighted value, wherein the first weighted value is obtained by weighting the signal quality according to the first weighted value, and the second weighted value is obtained by weighting time according to the second weighted value. Accessing the network device is performed if the first sum is greater than or equal to a first preset value.

[0017] It is understood that the first weighted value may include a weighted value obtained by weighted processing of the received power in the cell search and a weighted value obtained by weighted processing of the signal quality received in the cell search. The first preset value may be an arbitrarily selected value based on actual conditions, for example, 0. The terminal selects whether to access the network device based on signal quality and time in a weighted manner. The weighted values ​​of signal quality and time may be selected based on the degree of emphasis on signal quality and time, respectively, thereby increasing the flexibility of the terminal in selecting a satellite.

[0018] Optionally, before determining the first sum of the first weighted value and the second weighted value, the communication method may further include: receiving the first weighted value and the second weighted value from a network device. It is understood that the terminal can obtain the weighted parameters by receiving newly added signaling from the network device, thereby reducing terminal-side overhead.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the communication method may further include determining a difference between the first sum and a third weighted value, where the third weighted value is obtained by weighting a distance between a location of the terminal and a location of the network device relative to the cell according to the third weighted value. If the difference is greater than or equal to a second preset value, accessing the network device.

[0020] It is understood that the second preset value can be an arbitrarily selected value based on actual conditions. The terminal selects whether to access the network device based on signal quality, time, and location in a weighted manner. The weight values ​​corresponding to signal quality, time, and location can be selected based on the degree of importance attached to signal quality, time, and location, thereby increasing the flexibility of the terminal in selecting satellites.

[0021] Optionally, before determining the difference between the first sum and the third weighted value, the communication method may further include: receiving the third weighted value from the network device. It is understood that the terminal can obtain the weighted parameter by receiving the newly added signaling from the network device, thereby reducing the terminal side overhead.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the posture of the terminal relative to the network device includes the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device. The communication method may further include: determining a second sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value, and the fourth weighted value, where the fourth weighted value is obtained by weighting the pitch angle according to the fourth weighted value. If the second sum is greater than or equal to a third preset value, accessing the network device. It is understood that the third preset value can be an arbitrarily selected value based on actual circumstances. The terminal selects whether to access the network device based on signal quality, time, and angle in a weighted manner. The weighted values ​​corresponding to signal quality, time, and angle can be selected based on the degree of importance attached to these values, thereby increasing the flexibility of the terminal in selecting satellites.

[0023] Optionally, before determining the second sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value, and the fourth weighted value, the communication method may further include: receiving the fourth weighted value from the network device. It is understood that the terminal can obtain the weighted parameters by receiving newly added signaling from the network device, thereby reducing terminal-side overhead.

[0024] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a network device, or a chip or logic module within the network device. The method includes: the network device, being a non-terrestrial network device, obtains first information, the first information including the time the network device serves a cell and / or the location of the network device relative to the cell. The network device then sends the first information to a terminal.

[0025] In a possible implementation, the communication method may further include: sending second information to the terminal, where the second information includes at least one of the following: a preset time threshold, a preset distance threshold, or a preset angle threshold.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the communication method may further include: sending third information to the terminal, the third information including at least one of the following: a first weight value, a second weight value, a third weight value, or a fourth weight value, wherein the first weight value is associated with the signal quality of the cell, the second weight value is associated with the time the network device serves the cell, the third weight value is associated with the distance between the position of the terminal and the position of the network device relative to the cell, and the fourth weight value is associated with the posture of the terminal relative to the network device.

[0027] Optionally, the posture of the terminal relative to the network device includes a pitch angle between the terminal and the network device.

[0028] It can be understood that the relevant technical effects of the method of the second aspect mentioned above can also refer to the relevant introduction of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0029] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a module for executing the method described in any one of aspects 1 to 2, such as a transceiver module and a processing module. For example, the transceiver module is configured to perform the transceiver function of the communication device, and the processing module is configured to perform functions other than the transceiver function of the communication device.

[0030] Optionally, the transceiver module may include a sending module and a receiving module, wherein the sending module is used to implement the sending function of the communication device described in the third aspect, and the receiving module is used to implement the receiving function of the communication device described in the third aspect.

[0031] Optionally, the communication device described in the third aspect may further include a storage module, wherein the storage module stores a program or instruction. When the processing module executes the program or instruction, the communication device may execute the method described in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect.

[0032] It can be understood that the communication device described in the third aspect can be a terminal or a network device, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in a terminal or a network device, or a device that includes a terminal or a network device, or a component that completes part or all of the functions of a network device. This application does not limit this.

[0033] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the third aspect can refer to the technical effects of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0034] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor configured to execute the method described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver may be used for the communication device described in the fourth aspect to communicate with other communication devices.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a memory. The memory may be integrated with the processor or provided separately. The memory may be used to store the computer program and / or data involved in the method described in any one of the first and second aspects.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device described in the fourth aspect can be the terminal or network device described in any one of the first to second aspects, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in the terminal or network device, or a device that includes the terminal or network device, or can be a component that completes part or all of the functions of the network device.

[0038] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fourth aspect can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory, so that the communication device performs the method described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the communication device may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver may be used for the communication device to communicate with other communication devices.

[0041] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes the memory for storing the above-mentioned computer program or instruction. Optionally, the memory and the processor are integrated together.

[0042] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be the terminal or network device described in any one of the first to second aspects, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in the terminal or network device, or a device that includes the terminal or network device.

[0043] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fifth aspect can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0044] In a sixth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising: a terminal for executing the method according to the first aspect, and a network device for executing the method according to the second aspect.

[0045] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions; when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the method described in any one of the first to second aspects above is implemented.

[0046] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method described in any one of the first to second aspects above to be implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a ground gaze scenario;

[0048] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a ground movement scenario;

[0049] FIG3 is a first structural diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG4 is a second structural diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the process of the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a cell reference point provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0054] FIG8 is a first structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0055] FIG9 is a second structural diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] Base stations / sites in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) primarily include low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), and high altitude platform station (HAPS) systems. For LEO satellites, there are two main scenarios: staring at the Earth and moving around. As shown in Figure 1, in the staring scenario, the satellite serves a single area on the ground over a period of time. This means that as the satellite moves, the satellite adjusts its beam pointing, with the satellite's beam pointing towards the same area at times t0 and t1, providing staring service to the ground. As shown in Figure 2, in the moving around scenario, the satellite does not adjust its beam; instead, the beam moves with the satellite's motion, with the satellite's beam pointing towards different areas at times t0 and t1.

[0057] Currently, for satellite selection in ground-gazing and ground-mobile scenarios, cells are usually selected according to the S criterion. That is, cells are selected based on signal quality, including the measured reference signal receiving power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ). The cell meets the S criterion, that is, the received power Srxlev in the cell search is greater than 0dB, and the received signal quality Squal in the cell search is greater than 0dB. Srxlev and Squal satisfy the following formula: Srxlev = Q rxlevmeas –(Q rxlevmin +Q rxlevminoffset )–P compensation -Qoffset temp Squal=Q qualmeas –(Q qualmin +Q qualminoffset )–Qoffset temp

[0058] Among them, P compensation =max(P max -PU max , 0). Q rxlevmeas is the RSRP value of the measured cell, Q rxlevmin is the lowest receiving level of the cell, Q rxlevminoffset is the minimum receiving level offset of the cell, P maxis the maximum uplink transmit power allowed for UE in the cell, PU max The maximum uplink transmit power determined by the UE capability. qualmeas is the RSRQ value of the measured cell, Q qualmin is the minimum received signal quality, Q qualminoffset The minimum received signal quality offset value, Qoffset temp A temporary power offset.

[0059] As can be seen, if the cell selection is typically based on the S criterion, the UE will consistently select higher-layer satellites for access when the signal quality of higher-layer satellites is greater than that of lower-layer satellites. If the signal quality of higher-layer satellites is less than that of lower-layer satellites, the UE will consistently select lower-layer satellites for access. If the UE selects a cell based on the maximum service time criterion, the UE will consistently select higher-layer satellites due to their larger beam coverage and slower mobility. This reduces satellite resource utilization, and the UE will consistently select satellites with higher signal quality, increasing the frequency of satellite handoffs.

[0060] In response to the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application propose the following technical solutions.

[0061] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless network (Wi-Fi) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, Internet of Vehicles communication systems, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems such as LTE systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems such as NR systems, and future communication networks and other communication systems evolved after 5G.

[0063] In the embodiment of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the first indication information, the second indication information, or the third indication information below) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be indicated. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each piece of information agreed in advance (such as specified in the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. At the same time, the common parts of each piece of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by indicating the same information separately.

[0064] In addition, the specific indication method can also be various existing indication methods, such as but not limited to the above-mentioned indication methods and various combinations thereof. As can be seen from the above, for example, when it is necessary to indicate multiple pieces of information of the same type, different indication methods may be used for different pieces of information. During the specific implementation process, the desired indication method can be selected according to specific needs. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the selected indication method. As such, the indication methods involved in the embodiments of the present application should be understood to cover various methods that can enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0065] It should be understood that the information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in the embodiments of this application. Among them, the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be predefined, for example, predefined according to a protocol, or can be configured by the sending node device by sending configuration information to the receiving node device.

[0066] "Pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation method. Among them, "saving" can mean saving in one or more memories. The one or more memories can be set separately or integrated in an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories can also be partially set separately and partially integrated in a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0067] The "protocol" involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a protocol family in the communication field, a standard protocol with a similar protocol family frame structure, or a related protocol used in future communication systems. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, nor does it require the device to perform judgment actions when implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0069] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in the embodiments of the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with basically the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit differences. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or implementation described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or implementations. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0070] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field will know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0071] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application is first described in detail using the communication system shown in Figure 3 as an example. For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0072] As shown in FIG3 , the communication system mainly includes at least one of the following: a terminal and a network device.

[0073] In one possible scenario, the communication system can be applied to the communication systems of 5G or future communication networks. For example, as shown in FIG4 , the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, a core network (CN) 200, and the Internet 300. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG4 , collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG4 , collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG4 ). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. The core network devices in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be separate physical devices, or they can be a single physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0074] The RAN 100 may be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system (such as a future mobile communication system). The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a Wi-Fi system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0075] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and facilitates wireless access for terminals. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 4 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 120j accessing the RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 4 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionality, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0076] In one possible scenario, a RAN node may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access point (AP) in a Wi-Fi system. A RAN node may be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG4 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG4 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an onboard device, etc. For example, an access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application may also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The RAN node in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a RAN node.

[0077] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0078] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0079] It is understood that the above-mentioned RAN node can be a newly defined name, and RAN node can also be expressed in different ways, such as access node, network device, wireless access node, etc., without limitation. Unless otherwise specified in this application, network device is used to express it.

[0080] Terminals can also be referred to as terminal devices, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, or mobile terminals. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), smart point-of-sale (POS), customer-premises equipment (CPE), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables (such as smart watches, smart bracelets, pedometers, and smart glasses), smart transportation, and smart cities. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicle devices (such as complete vehicle devices, vehicle-mounted modules, vehicle-mounted chips, on-board units (OBUs), or telematics boxes (T-BOXs)), drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, and satellite terminals. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0081] The embodiments provided in this application can be applied to satellite communications, and the communication system can be applied to typical application scenarios of satellite networks. Figure 5 shows a typical application architecture of a satellite network provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, a ground mobile terminal UE accesses the data network through the 5G new air interface. The 5G base station is deployed on the satellite, providing communication services for the UE and connecting to the core network on the ground through a wireless link. At the same time, there is a wireless link between the satellites to complete the signaling interaction and user data transmission between the base stations.

[0082] 5G base stations mainly provide wireless access services, dispatch wireless resources to access terminals, and provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols.

[0083] The 5G core network mainly provides services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. The 5G core network consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into functional entities of the control plane and the data plane. The control plane mainly includes the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element and the session management function (SMF) network element. Among them, the AMF network element is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The SMF network element is mainly used for session management in mobile networks, such as session establishment, modification, and release. The data plane mainly includes the user plane function (UPF) network element, which is responsible for managing the transmission of user plane data, traffic statistics, and other functions.

[0084] The ground station is responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between the satellite base station and the 5G core network.

[0085] The 5G new air interface is the wireless link between the terminal and the base station.

[0086] The Xn interface is the interface between 5G base stations and is mainly used for signaling interactions such as switching.

[0087] The NG interface is the interface between the 5G base station and the 5G core network, which mainly exchanges the core network's non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and user service data.

[0088] In this communication system, the terminal selectively accesses a more suitable network device based on at least one of the time the network device serves the cell, the position of the network device relative to the cell, and the posture of the terminal relative to the network device, thereby improving the utilization rate of network device resources. By selecting a network device in any combination of time, position, and posture, it is possible to avoid switching caused by the movement of the network device and / or the terminal as soon as the terminal accesses the network device, reduce the switching frequency of the network device, and thus ensure efficient access.

[0089] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form factor of the network device. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be a network device; it can also be a device that supports the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0090] The following will specifically describe the interaction process between each network element / device in the above communication system through a method embodiment in conjunction with Figure 6. The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the above communication system and specifically applied to various scenarios / processes mentioned in the above communication system, which are described in detail below.

[0091] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. This communication method is applicable to the above-mentioned communication system and mainly involves the interaction between a terminal and a network device.

[0092] As shown in Figure 6, the process of the communication method is as follows:

[0093] S601: A network device obtains first information.

[0094] The network device is a non-terrestrial network device, and the cell served by the network device does not move with the movement of the network device. For example, the embodiment of the present application is applicable to the ground staring scenario. As the satellite moves, the satellite adjusts the beam pointing and provides staring service to the area on the ground. Accordingly, the cell served by the network device is a ground staring cell. The first information may include the time when the network device serves the cell, and / or the position of the network device relative to the cell. The time when the network device serves the cell may be the remaining time when the network device serves the cell, and of course it may also be the time when the network device has already served the cell, which is not limited here. The position of the network device relative to the cell may be the reference point where the beam of the network device is projected into the cell. For example, as shown in FIG7 , the reference point may correspond to the center point of the satellite beam coverage area.

[0095] S602: The network device sends first information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first information from the network device.

[0096] The network device may reuse existing signaling to deliver the first information. For example, the time during which the network device serves the cell is carried in the service time (t-Service-r17) signaling, and the service time signaling is broadcast via the system information block 19 (SIB19). For another example, the network device may reuse reference location signaling to deliver cell reference point information. The cell reference point information may be used to represent the location of the network device relative to the cell.

[0097] S603: The terminal determines whether to access the network device according to at least one of the following: the time the network device serves the cell, the position of the network device relative to the cell, or the posture of the terminal relative to the network device.

[0098] The posture of the terminal relative to the network device may include the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device, such as the elevation angle of the terminal relative to the network device or the pitch angle of the network device relative to the terminal. Of course, it may also include other angles generated between the terminal and the network device, which are not limited here. The terminal can calculate the pitch angle information by itself through the terminal position and the satellite position, such as the terminal calculates the elevation angle information Q between the terminal and the satellite through the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and satellite ephemeris. anglemeas The terminal determines whether the network device meets the selection criteria based on at least one of the time, location, and posture mentioned above, that is, determines whether to access the network device.

[0099] Optionally, the terminal may also determine whether to access the network device based on at least one of the following and signal quality, that is, determining whether to access the network device based on at least one of time, location, and posture, and signal quality. The signal quality may include RSRP and RSRQ.

[0100] In a possible implementation, S603 may include: when the time for which the network device serves the cell is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, the terminal accesses the network device.

[0101] It is understood that the time a network device serves a cell can be the remaining time the network device serves the cell. The preset time threshold can represent the minimum required service time. If the remaining time the network device serves the cell is greater than or equal to the minimum required service time, the network device meets the terminal's selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device. If the remaining time the network device serves the cell is less than the minimum required service time, the terminal does not access the network device. In this way, the terminal selects a satellite based on the time the network device serves the cell, reducing the frequency of handovers caused by network device movement, allowing the terminal to select a more suitable satellite and ensuring efficient access.

[0102] In addition, if the time that the network device has served the cell is used to indicate the time that the network device has served the cell, the preset time threshold value can represent the maximum service time. At this time, if the time that the network device has served the cell is less than or equal to the maximum service time, the network device meets the terminal selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device.

[0103] Optionally, before S603, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving a preset time threshold from the network device. It is understood that the preset time threshold may be carried in a newly added time signaling, and the terminal may obtain the preset time threshold by receiving the newly added time signaling from the network device, thereby reducing the overhead on the terminal side. For example, the network device broadcasts a message via SIB19 or other system information block (SIB), and the message includes Q timemin , where Q timemin Of course, the preset time threshold value may also be a threshold value determined by the terminal itself, which is not limited here.

[0104] In a possible implementation, S603 may further include: when the time the network device serves the cell is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold and the signal quality of the cell meets a preset condition, the terminal accesses the network device.

[0105] It can be understood that the signal quality of the cell may include the received power in the cell search and the signal quality received in the cell search, and the preset conditions may include a preset power threshold corresponding to the received power and a preset quality threshold corresponding to the signal quality received in the cell search. If the time that the network device serves the cell is greater than or equal to the preset time threshold, the received power is greater than the preset power threshold, and the signal quality received in the cell search is greater than the preset quality threshold, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev≥0, Squal≥0 and Stime≥0, where Srxlev and Squal are as described in the above S criterion and will not be repeated here. Stime=t1–Q timemin , where t1 is the remaining service time of the network device for the cell, Q timemin In this way, the terminal selects a satellite based on both the S criterion and the time the network equipment serves the cell, thus avoiding handover problems caused by the satellite right after accessing the satellite.

[0106] In a possible implementation, S603 may include: when the distance between the position of the terminal and the position of the network device relative to the cell is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the terminal accesses the network device.

[0107] It is understood that the terminal's location can be obtained via GNSS, and the network device's location relative to the cell can be the cell reference point information issued by the network device. The preset distance threshold value can represent the maximum distance between the terminal and the cell reference point. If the distance between the terminal and the cell reference point is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold value, the network device meets the terminal's selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device. In this way, when the distance between the terminal and the cell reference point is large, such as when the terminal is at the edge of the satellite beam coverage cell, that is, when the terminal is far from the center point of the satellite beam coverage area, the terminal does not select the satellite for access, thereby avoiding handover issues caused by terminal movement immediately after accessing the satellite.

[0108] Optionally, before S603, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving a preset distance threshold value from the network device. It is understood that the preset distance threshold value may be carried in a newly added distance signaling, and the terminal may obtain the preset distance threshold value by receiving the newly added distance signaling from the network device, for example, the network device broadcasts a message through SIB19 or other SIBs, and the message includes Q dismin , where Q dismin Indicates the maximum distance between the terminal and the cell reference point. The preset distance threshold value can also reuse the distance threshold (distanceThresh) defined in the standard, that is, Q dismin =distanceThresh. Of course, the preset distance threshold value may also be a threshold value determined by the terminal itself, which is not limited here.

[0109] In one possible implementation, S603 may further include: when the distance between the terminal's location and the location of the network device relative to the cell is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, and the signal quality of the cell meets a preset condition, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev ≥ 0, Squal ≥ 0, and Sdis ≤ 0, where Srxlev and Squal are as described in the above S criterion and are not repeated here. Sdis = dis(UE_GNSS, referenceLocation) – Q dismin , where dis(UE_GNSS, referenceLocation) represents the distance between the terminal's location and the network device's location relative to the cell, Q dismin In this way, the terminal selects a satellite based on both the S criterion and the location of the network device relative to the cell, thus avoiding handover problems caused by the terminal as soon as the satellite is connected.

[0110] In one possible implementation, S603 may further include: when the time that the network device serves the cell is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, the distance between the terminal's location and the location of the network device relative to the cell is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, and the signal quality of the cell meets a preset condition, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev ≥ 0, Squal ≥ 0, Stime ≥ 0, and Sdis ≤ 0, where Srxlev, Squal, Stime, and Sdis are as described above and will not be repeated here. In this way, the terminal selects a satellite based on the S criterion, time, and location at the same time, avoiding switching problems caused by the satellite and / or the terminal as soon as the satellite is accessed.

[0111] In a possible implementation, the posture of the terminal relative to the network device includes a pitch angle between the terminal and the network device; S603 may further include: accessing the network device when the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device is greater than or equal to a preset angle threshold.

[0112] It can be understood that the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device can be calculated using GNSS and satellite ephemeris, and the preset angle threshold can represent the minimum required pitch angle information between the terminal and the network device. If the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device is greater than or equal to the preset angle threshold, the network device meets the terminal's selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device. Since the larger the pitch angle between the terminal and the network device, the better the signal quality of the network device serving the terminal, for example, when the elevation angle between the terminal and the satellite is 90 degrees, the satellite is directly above the terminal, and the signal quality of the satellite serving the terminal is the best. Therefore, when the pitch angle between the terminal and the satellite does not meet the minimum required pitch angle, the terminal does not select the satellite for access, which can avoid switching problems caused by the terminal and / or the satellite as soon as the satellite is accessed.

[0113] Optionally, before S603, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving a preset angle threshold from the network device. It is understood that the preset angle threshold may be carried in the newly added angle signaling, and the terminal may obtain the preset angle threshold by receiving the newly added angle signaling from the network device, thereby reducing the terminal side overhead. For example, the network device broadcasts a message through SIB19 or other SIBs, and the message includes Q anglemin , where Q anglemin Indicates the minimum required pitch angle information between the terminal and the network device. Of course, the preset angle threshold value can also be a threshold value determined by the terminal itself, which is not limited here.

[0114] In one possible implementation, S603 may further include: when the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device is greater than or equal to a preset angle threshold and the signal quality of the cell meets a preset condition, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev ≥ 0, Squal ≥ 0, and Sangle ≥ 0, where the formulas satisfied by Srxlev and Squal are as described in the above-mentioned S criterion and are not repeated here. Sangle = Q anglemeas –Q anglemin , where Q anglemeas Indicates the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device, Q anglemin The preset angle threshold is used. In this way, the terminal selects satellites based on both the S criterion and the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device, reducing the switching frequency caused by terminal movement and enabling the terminal to select a more suitable satellite, ensuring efficient access.

[0115] In one possible implementation, S603 may further include: when the time the network device serves the cell is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device is greater than or equal to a preset angle threshold, and the signal quality of the cell meets preset conditions, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev ≥ 0, Squal ≥ 0, Stime ≥ 0, and Sangle ≥ 0, where Srxlev, Squal, Stime, and Sangle are as described above and are not repeated here. In this way, the terminal selects a satellite based on the S criterion, time, and angle simultaneously, reducing the frequency of switching due to satellite and / or terminal movement.

[0116] In one possible implementation, at least one of the following items may further include signal quality of the cell; and S603 may further include: determining a first sum of a first weighted value and a second weighted value, wherein the first weighted value is obtained by weighting the signal quality according to the first weighted value, and the second weighted value is obtained by weighting time according to the second weighted value. If the first sum is greater than or equal to a first preset value, accessing the network device.

[0117] It is understood that the first weighted value may include a weighted value obtained by weighting the received power in the cell search and a weighted value obtained by weighting the signal quality received in the cell search. For example, Srxlev is weighted by weighting parameter a to obtain a weighted value a*Srxlev, and Squal is weighted by weighting parameter b to obtain a weighted value b*Squal. The first weighted value may, for example, be a weighted value c*t1 obtained by weighting the time the network device serves the cell by weighting parameter c. In this case, the first sum is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*t1. The condition that the terminal must meet for selecting a satellite is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*t1≥A, where A is a first preset value. The first preset value may be an arbitrarily selected value based on actual conditions, for example, A is 0.

[0118] Optionally, the second weighted value can also be obtained by weighting the difference between the time when the network device serves the cell and the preset time threshold value according to the second weighted value. For example, the second weighted value is obtained by weighting Stime by the weighting parameter c to obtain a weighted value c*Stime, where Stime = t1–Q timemin , t1 is the remaining service time of the network equipment for the cell, Q timemin At this time, the first sum is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime, and the condition that the terminal needs to meet for selecting a satellite is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime≥A.

[0119] Optionally, the first sum may be the sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value, and a constant. For example, the first sum is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime+d, and the condition that the terminal needs to meet for selecting a satellite is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime+d≥0.

[0120] Optionally, before determining the first sum of the first weighted value and the second weighted value, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving the first weighted value and the second weighted value from the network device.

[0121] It is understood that the terminal can obtain the weighting parameters by receiving new signaling from the network device. For example, the network device broadcasts a message through SIB19 or other SIBs, and the message includes the weighting parameters a, b, c, or a, b, c, d for cell selection. In this way, the terminal selects satellites based on the S criterion and time in a weighted manner. The weight values ​​of signal quality and time can be selected according to the degree of emphasis on signal quality and time, respectively, which increases the flexibility of terminal satellite selection.

[0122] In one possible implementation, the communication method may further include determining a difference between the first sum and a third weighted value, where the third weighted value is obtained by weighting a distance between a location of the terminal and a location of the network device relative to the cell according to the third weighted value. If the difference is greater than or equal to a second preset value, accessing the network device.

[0123] It is understood that the third weighted value may be, for example, a weighted value e*Sdis obtained by weighting Sdis by a weighting parameter e, where Sdis represents the distance between the terminal's location and the network device's location relative to the cell. In this case, the difference between the first sum and the third weighted value is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime-e*Sdis. The condition that the terminal must meet for satellite selection is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime-e*Sdis≥B, where B is a second preset value, which may be arbitrarily selected based on actual circumstances.

[0124] Optionally, since the first sum can be the sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value and a constant, the difference between the first sum and the third weighted value can be, for example, a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime+de*Sdis, and the condition that the terminal needs to meet for selecting a satellite is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime+de*Sdis≥B, where B can be 0.

[0125] Optionally, before determining the difference between the first sum and the third weighted value, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving the third weighted value from the network device.

[0126] It is understood that the terminal can obtain the weighting parameters by receiving new signaling from the network device. For example, the network device broadcasts a message through SIB19 or other SIBs, and the message includes the weighting parameters a, b, c, e or a, b, c, e, d for cell selection. In this way, the terminal selects satellites based on the S criterion, time, and location in a weighted manner. The weight values ​​corresponding to signal quality, time, and location can be selected according to the degree of importance attached to signal quality, time, and location, thereby increasing the flexibility of terminal satellite selection.

[0127] In one possible implementation, the posture of the terminal relative to the network device includes a pitch angle between the terminal and the network device. The communication method may further include: determining a second sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value, and a fourth weighted value, where the fourth weighted value is obtained by weighting the pitch angle according to the fourth weighted value. If the second sum is greater than or equal to a third preset value, accessing the network device.

[0128] It is understood that the fourth weighted value may be, for example, a weighted value f*Sangle obtained by weighting Sangle by a weighting parameter f, where Sangle represents the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device. In this case, the second sum is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime+f*Sangle, and the condition that the terminal must meet for satellite selection is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime+f*Sangle≥C, where C is a third preset value, which may be arbitrarily selected based on actual circumstances.

[0129] Optionally, the second sum may be the sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value, the fourth weighted value, and a constant. For example, the second sum is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime+f*Sangle+d, and the condition that the terminal needs to meet for selecting a satellite is a*Srxlev+b*Squal+c*Stime+f*Sangle+d≥C, where C may be 0.

[0130] Optionally, before determining the second sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value and the fourth weighted value, the communication method may further include: receiving a fourth weighted value from a network device.

[0131] It is understood that the terminal can obtain the weighting parameters by receiving new signaling from the network device. For example, the network device broadcasts a message through SIB19 or other SIBs, and the message includes the weighting parameters a, b, c, f or a, b, c, f, d for cell selection. In this way, the terminal selects satellites based on the S criterion, time, and angle in a weighted manner. The weight values ​​corresponding to signal quality, time, and angle can be selected according to the degree of importance attached to signal quality, time, and angle, thereby increasing the flexibility of terminal satellite selection.

[0132] In summary, the terminal selectively accesses a more suitable network device through at least one of the time the network device serves the cell, the position of the network device relative to the cell, and the posture of the terminal relative to the network device, thereby improving the utilization rate of network device resources. By selecting a network device through any combination of time, position and posture, it is possible to avoid switching caused by the movement of the network device and / or the terminal as soon as the terminal accesses the network device, reduce the switching frequency of the network device, and thus ensure efficient access.

[0133] The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 6 and 7. The communication device for executing the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 8 and 9.

[0134] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 8 , the communication device 800 includes a transceiver module 801 and a processing module 802. For ease of illustration, Figure 8 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0135] The transceiver module 801 is used to perform the transceiver function of the method shown in FIG. 6 , and the processing module 802 is used to perform other functions of the method shown in FIG. 6 except the transceiver function.

[0136] Optionally, the transceiver module 801 may include a sending module (not shown in FIG8 ) and a receiving module (not shown in FIG8 ). The sending module is used to implement the sending function of the communication device 800 , and the receiving module is used to implement the receiving function of the communication device 800 .

[0137] Optionally, the communication device 800 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG8 ) that stores a program or instruction. When the processing module 802 executes the program or instruction, the communication device 800 may perform the functions of the terminal or network device in the method shown in FIG6 in the above method.

[0138] It can be understood that the communication device 800 can be a terminal or a network device, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in a terminal or a network device, or a device that includes a terminal or a network device. This application does not limit this.

[0139] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device 800 can refer to the technical effects of the communication method shown in Figure 6, and will not be repeated here.

[0140] Figure 9 is a second structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the communication device may be a terminal, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be set in a terminal. As shown in Figure 9, the communication device 900 may include a processor 901. Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a memory 902 and / or a transceiver 903. The processor 901 is coupled to the memory 902 and / or the transceiver 903, such as by connecting via a communication bus, by connecting via an interface within the chip, or by connecting via other communication lines. Optionally, the memory 902 may be integrated with the processor 901.

[0141] The following is a detailed introduction to the various components of the communication device 900 in conjunction with FIG9 :

[0142] The processor 901 is the control center of the communication device 900 and can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 901 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs) or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0143] Optionally, the processor 901 may execute various functions of the communication device 900 , such as executing the communication method shown in FIG. 6 , by running or executing a software program stored in the memory 902 and calling data stored in the memory 902 .

[0144] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 901 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG. 9 .

[0145] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 900 may also include multiple processors, such as the processor 901 and the processor 904 shown in FIG9 . Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0146] The memory 902 is used to store the software program for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 901. The specific implementation method can refer to the above method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0147] Optionally, the memory 902 can be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 902 can be integrated with the processor 901 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 901 through the interface circuit of the communication device 900 (not shown in Figure 9). This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0148] Transceiver 903 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 900 is a terminal, transceiver 903 can be used to communicate with a network device or another terminal device. For another example, if communication device 900 is a network device, transceiver 903 can be used to communicate with a terminal or another network device.

[0149] Optionally, the transceiver 903 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in FIG9 ), wherein the receiver is used to implement a receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement a sending function.

[0150] Optionally, the transceiver 903 may be integrated with the processor 901 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 901 through an interface circuit (not shown in FIG. 9 ) of the communication device 900 . This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0151] It is understandable that the structure of the communication device 900 shown in FIG9 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device, and an actual communication device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0152] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device 900 can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0153] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), and the processor may also be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0154] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a ROM, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an EEPROM, or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0155] The above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware or any other combination. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that contains one or more available media sets. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (for example, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium. The semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0156] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein simply describes a relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B together, or B alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, the character " / " as used herein generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects, but it may also indicate an "and / or" relationship. For specific understanding, please refer to the context.

[0157] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "plurality" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or plural.

[0158] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0159] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0160] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0161] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0162] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0163] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0164] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes the various possible memories mentioned above.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving first information from a network device, where the network device is a non-terrestrial network device, the first information including a time when the network device serves a cell and / or a location of the network device relative to the cell; Whether to access the network device is determined according to at least one of the following: the time during which the network device serves a cell, the position of the network device relative to the cell, or the posture of the terminal relative to the network device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining whether to access the network device according to at least one of the following items includes: When the time for which the network device serves the cell is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, the network device is accessed.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The determining whether to access the network device according to at least one item includes: When the distance between the position of the terminal and the position of the network device relative to the cell is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, access the network device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The posture of the terminal relative to the network device includes a pitch angle between the terminal and the network device; and determining whether to access the network device according to at least one of the following includes: When the elevation angle between the terminal and the network device is greater than or equal to a preset angle threshold, the terminal accesses the network device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The at least one of the following further includes a signal quality of the cell; and the determining whether to access the network device according to at least one of the following includes: Determining a first sum of a first weighted value and a second weighted value, wherein the first weighted value is obtained by weighting the signal quality according to the first weighted value, and the second weighted value is obtained by weighting the time according to the second weighted value; When the first sum is greater than or equal to a first preset value, the network device is accessed.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that Before determining the first sum of the first weighted value and the second weighted value, the method further includes: The first weight value and the second weight value are received from a network device.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: determining a difference between the first sum and a third weighted value, wherein the third weighted value is obtained by weighting the distance between the position of the terminal and the position of the network device relative to the cell according to the third weighted value; When the difference is greater than or equal to a second preset value, the network device is accessed.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that Before determining the difference between the first sum and the third weighted value, the method further includes: The third weight value is received from a network device.

9. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that The posture of the terminal relative to the network device includes a pitch angle between the terminal and the network device; the method further includes: determining a second sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value, and a fourth weighted value, where the fourth weighted value is obtained by weighting the pitch angle according to the fourth weighted value; When the second sum is greater than or equal to a third preset value, the network device is accessed.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that Before determining the second sum of the first weighted value, the second weighted value, and the fourth weighted value, the method further includes: The fourth weight value is received from a network device.

11. A communication method, characterized in that: include: A network device acquires first information, where the network device is a non-terrestrial network device, and the first information includes a time when the network device serves a cell and / or a position of the network device relative to the cell; The network device sends the first information to the terminal.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The method further comprises: The network device sends second information to the terminal, where the second information includes at least one of the following: a preset time threshold, a preset distance threshold, or a preset angle threshold.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that The method further comprises: The network device sends third information to the terminal, and the third information includes at least one of the following: a first weight value, a second weight value, a third weight value, or a fourth weight value, wherein the first weight value is associated with the signal quality of the cell, the second weight value is associated with the time when the network device serves the cell, the third weight value is associated with the distance between the position of the terminal and the position of the network device relative to the cell, and the fourth weight value is associated with the posture of the terminal relative to the network device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The posture of the terminal relative to the network device includes a pitch angle between the terminal and the network device.

15. A communication device, characterized in that: The apparatus comprises: a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1-14.

16. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 is executed.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions, and when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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